M&S takes the pain out of ironing with crease-proof linen

Nothing says cool sophistication quite like a crisp white linen suit, a pair of wide-legged linen trousers or a pristine, loose shirt in this most summery of fabrics.

But as any lover of linen will know, however crisp a linen shirt looks on the hanger, wear it in the searing summer heat for more than five minutes and it wilts, crumples and creases into a rumpled wreck.

Innovation: Marks & Spencer say their miracle linen creases three times less than ordinary linen but feels just as cool

Sit on the hot Tube for half and hour on the way to work in your palazzo pants, and you'll arrive at the office looking like you've just crawled out of the laundry basket; lift your arm to your mouth too many times to eat your lunchtime sandwich, and indelible creases are pressed in at your elbow for the rest of the day.

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But for those who've forsaken linen for its tenacious way with creases, there may be a solution.

M&S is launching the first ever crease-proof linen. Dubbed 'miracle linen', the fabric, which M&S claim creases three times less than normal linen, has been developed exclusively for the store.

And there's a further benefit: As we all know, ordinary linen is hellacious to iron too. Unless it's tackled damp, straight from the washing machine, removing heavy creases from linen garments is as tough as attempting to iron out the bark of old oak tree.

Performing pants: M&S miracle linen trousers, costing £39.50. They're easier to iron than ordinary linen but perform just as well in hot weather, say the store

But the creases are removed from this fabric much more easily, taking the pain out of the chore.

The 'miracle' linen was developed in response to customer feedback, a spokesperson for the store said.

'Our research showed that our customers like to wear linen but the nature of linen and the way it creases sometimes discourages them from wearing it'., they said.

The fabric gets its diminished creaseability from the addition of manmade fibres - the fabric is a blend of 55 per cent linen and 45 per cent polyester - a fact that could deter those shoppers who highly value the natural feel of linen.

But, say M&S, this miracle linen performs just as well.

'Because the polyester fibres are wrapped in linen, miracle linen feels just like ordinary linen and will be just as cool,' the store said.

At present shoppers can choose from two pairs of trousers, costing £39.50, and two blouses at £35, as well as two types of trouser and two shirts in the menswear range. Depending on sales, the store may extend the range.